


Identity Switch

by Hiway202



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Hospitalization, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mental Health Issues, Originally Posted on FictionPress.com, Suicide Attempt, Twins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 07:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10826553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hiway202/pseuds/Hiway202
Summary: Liz has always wanted to pull the oldest trick in the twin handbook: The identity switch. The only problem is her twin sister Ari doesn't want to. But when Ari attempts suicide and is hospitalized she hates it so much that she gets an idea: How about Ari and Liz switch for one day. That way, they both win, right? Wrong.





	Identity Switch

"You got your lunch?"

"Yep."

"Backpack?"

"Yeah."

"All right, then you two should head off to school."

"Okay," Liz and I tell our mom as we walk out of our front door. We walk down to our bus stop to wait for the bus.

"Ready for another day of torture?" I ask Liz like I do every day.

"Ugg, kill me now," she responds. My identical twin sister and I exchange a laugh.

My sister and I are both fourteen. Her name is Elizabeth and mine is Ariana. Our nicknames are Liz and Ari. We both attend Summerville High School as Freshmen.

Liz is the funny one. She is always cracking jokes and pulling pranks.

Me? I'm the preppy one. The one that always wanders around school asking stupid questions and doing stupid shit. But, I also have a secret.

I'm suicidal. I'm depressed and stuff. I supose I need help, but I'm not willing to get any. In fact, I plan on killing myself tonight.

"The bus is here," Liz says, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Come on." We board the bus.

"Hello girls," the bus driver says.

"Hey," we respond.

"How are you two today?"

"Good."

"That's great." We take a seat.

"Hey Liz, want to sit with us?" One of Liz's friends asks.

"Not today," Liz responds. Wow, she's really out of it today. "I want to talk to Ari." Oh.

"About what?" I ask. Liz lowers her voice.

"I've been thinking," she starts, "what if we pulled the oldest trick in the twin handbook. What if we pretended to be eachother?"

"I don't know," I say. "I read a book like that and it didn't end well."

"Well, how'd it end?"

"Both girls had to do community service at school."

"Well, that's not too bad.

"It kind of is." Liz shakes her head. "Anyways," I say, "my answer is no."

"Ugg, fine." We sit in silence for the rest of the ride.

* * *

"Ariana, calm down, gosh!" Kathryn, my friend tells me.

"Sorry, it's not my fault!" I respond. We are sitting in science class and are doing a science experement and I'm freaking out because we're not doing it right.

"Just calm down girl!" she repeats. I laugh.

"Let's try this again. Mrs. Wessel, can we restart?"

"Sorry girls, I don't have enough supplies for you to restart. You'll just have to work with what you've got. It's fine."

"Dammit Kathryn, you messed it up!" I tell her.

"We both did," she responds.

"Kidding, I was kidding," I tell her.

"Uh, huh," she responds as we finish the rest of class working on the project.

* * *

"How was your day at school?" Mom asks when Liz and I get home.

"Good," I say as I hurry upstairs using the excuse of "homework" when in reality I just want to cut and get ready for my suicide plan. It has to be perfect.

I've never cut myself before, but thats how I'm going to kill myself. I'm going to slit my wrists.

First, I try a simple average cut from a normal cutter who is not trying to kill themselves. It feels good; normal. I cut again, this time deeper. It bleeds. And bleeds. And bleeds. But after about five minutes it stops.

Finally, it's time for the real cut. I take a deep breath, place my suicide note on the counter, and cut as deep as I can. Blood gushes out and I slowly lose conciousness. The last thing I hear is a knock on the door and then I die.

* * *

Or so I thought. I wake up in a room full of white. It's a hospital room and I'm attached to a heart monitor. My wrist is glued (I didn't cut deep enough for stiches) and my mom and dad are sleeping in chairs in the room. Liz is on her iPod.

She glances up at the sight of movement.

"Hey," she says.

"Hey," I respond.

"Why?" She got right down to buisness, didn't even wait.

"I just hate life. It's so stupid and not worth living."

"Well I think it is."

"Oh."

Silence.

"The nurse was talking to Mom and Dad," Liz says. "She said that once you woke up they were going to look for a psychiatric hospital for you to stay in. She said you'd probably be there for a week or two."

"Great," I mumble.

"They're going to put you on some anti-depressants or something and they said it's supposed to help you get better. I hope it does. I miss you."

"How long was I out for?"

"A day."

"That's not that bad."

"I know. The nurse said that if I didn't find you it would have been a lot worse. Don't scare me like that, Ariana. I don't like it!"

"I'm sorry."

"I hope you get better."

"Oh."

"You aren't going to say, 'Me too?'"

"Nope."

"Why not."

"Because I don't want to get better."

"You like feeling all depressed?"

"I guess- I mean, I don't know. Whatever."

"Just, please Ari, get better."

"I don't know."

* * *

My parents have finally woken up. A nurse is now in my room explaining what is going to happen to me.

"Now, we've gotten a great opening at Sutter Center for Psychiatry. We are going to send your daughter there where she will be on a 5150 hold. A 5150 is a three day psychiatric hold and she will be at Sutter for at least three days, realisticlly for a week or two. We will transport her there by anbulance so you won't have to pay a thing. Visiting hours are from seven to eight at night and one to four on the weekends. Any questions?" My parents ask away while my sister and I just stare at eachother. I can't believe I'm going.


End file.
